The present invention relates to an electrical pressure contact connector.
A conventional pressure contact connector is shown in JP-6-203643. This connector has a configuration whereby a housing is provided with a distribution face for electric wires, a plurality of terminal fittings are attached along this distribution face, and the electric wires are attached from above, by pressure contact, to a pressure contact member formed on each terminal fitting. The electric wires are insulated. Each pressure contact member formed on the terminal fittings is provided at one of a plurality of pressure contact locations on the distribution face, these pressure contact locations being provided on mutually differing locations of the terminal fittings. The plurality of electric wires for attachment by pressure contact are distributed along the distribution face at right angles to the direction in which the terminal fittings are attached to the housing.
The pressure contact connector described above, wherein the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings and the direction of distribution of the electric wires are at right angles, has the problem that if the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings is incorrect, the locations of the pressure contact members also become misaligned. As a result, the electric wires which have been attached by pressure contact to the incorrectly attached terminal fittings interfere with neighbouring electric wires and neighbouring pressure contact members, and there is the possibility that the pressure contact assembly cannot be performed.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a pressure contact connector in which, in the case where the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings relative to the housing is at approximate right angles to the direction of distribution of the electric wires, incorrect attachment of the terminal fittings can be detected.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector having a housing, a plurality of elongate electrical terminal fittings distributed in the housing in an attachment direction, each terminal fitting having an insulation displacement terminal for attachment to an electrical wire, the terminals being provided in parallel locations, and at right angles to said attachment direction whereby parallel electrical wires can be attached thereto, the connector further including a cover for said terminals, the inner face of said cover having depending walls adapted to provide channels for said wires.
Preferably the walls are substantially continuous and parallel, and the terminals preferably project therebetween. The channels between the walls may define recesses to receive and locate tips of said terminals.
The outermost walls may have different heights to fit closely with corresponding surfaces of the housing, thereby to ensure correct orientation of the cover. The innermost depending walls may be of the same height.
A resilient latch may be provided between cover and housing, and the cover may have end walls extending in the fitting direction and engageable over the sides of the housing. These sides may have projections engageable in slots of the cover to prevent fore and aft movement in the fitting direction. The cover is preferably attached in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction.